18/09/2011 Rugby League: Super League Highlights

Hello and welcome to the dw stadium, the home of rugby league's reigning

Super League champions, the Warriors. They begin their defence

of that title in earnest in the play-offs against their dreaded

local rivals, St Helens. It's been a season of up and downs, but this

is where the season gets really is where the season gets really

is where the season gets really serious. 14 becomes eight. Is it

the way the league table looked at touch and go as to what the make-up

of the top eight would finally be. Brian Noble is a man who knows all

about the play-offs, a former Bradford and Wigan coach. This is a

seat where you once sat as a Wigan coach. Not so much SAT, I jump

around, walked over to the other side. Very familiar with this.

surprises for you as far as that top eight is concerned? Not really.

The big talking point was would Castleford stay in the eighth. Two

clubs hard on their heels, which one would bawl out? It happened to

be Castleford as we saw last week. When you look at the age, they are

a lot stronger. Warrington and Wigan have been the teams of this

season. They played fantastic football. Warrington have scored

tonnes of points. They've defended their line really well. They are

there for a reason, they are there on merit. If it's not going to be

those two, who catches your fancy outside? St Helens. If they get

their best players on, which they haven't managed to do for long

periods this year, I think they've got the game that could trouble

got the game that could trouble both Wigan and Warrington. Remember,

as far as rugby league is concerned, it's not the team that finishes top

of the table at the regular season that gets the ground of champions,

you have to win the play-offs to do you have to win the play-offs to do

that. Here's how that works. Are you sitting comfortably, here we go.

The top war macro teams play each other, with Warrington and Wigan at

home. Warrington to Huddersfield, Wigan playing St Helens. The

winners go through to week three and a home tie in the qualifying

semi-finals. The losers go into the preliminary semi-finals next week.

The teams who finished 5th to eighth place each other, with Leeds

and Catalan Dragons at home, Hull FC and Hull Kingston Rovers are the

visitors. All the losers, it's a simple you are out. The winners go

into the next round, with league positions to -- determining who

they play. The lowest ranked team from these elimination play-off

place the highest ranked loser from the top four teams. The winners of

these preliminary semi-final going to week three, to meet the two

teams have had the week off. We will be asking questions later! The

highest ranked team to get this far director chooses their opponents

from the two coming the long way round for their semi-final. The

other two play each other. From hereon in it's a straight knockout

to the Grand Final at Old Trafford on October eighth. Every year we

talk through that process and I still don't think I understand it.

But does it work, but top-eight play-offs? Of course it works.

Because it gives you an exciting end to the season. Everyone has

something to play ball right to number eight in the competition

ladder. It can be a bit spellbinding if you don't look at

it. Now there are eight and not six, there's less opportunity for the

top teams to be knocked out, or more opportunity for the team's

underneath them to have a crack at it. It does sound complicated but

it gives everybody a breath of fresh air at the end of the year.

Tony Smith, the Warrington coach, is saying he would rather see a

top-six than a top aide, quality rewarded. Perhaps. He has a point.

When it was a top six before, you'd literally finish top of the league

and had one game to get into the Grand Final. Now the reality of

that is you have to tutu macro. That's rewarding excellence

throughout the year. We have to pay attention to that when reformulate

our divisions. Six or eight, it's still really exciting when it comes

to it. It's Warrington will come first. Warrington did finish top,

they are in action against Huddersfield Giants. This is a

repeat of last year's thrilling encounter which saw Huddersfield

just told of a Warrington fightback to dump the Wolves out of the play-

offs. The Giants may be confident of another upset, having beaten

Warrington in two of their three meetings this season. But Tony

Smith's team are in a rich vein of form. Winning their last 10 league

matches to finish top of the regular season table for the first

time since 1973. This Warrington side of history makers. Based Start

the play-off series with a seemingly excellent chance of

making the grand final. High expectations at the Halliwell Jones

Stadium. Nathan Brown, the Giants coach, looks the coal -- coolest

customer of them all. The Giants have had a poor end to the season

but they do have a player of pedigree and they have plenty of

operation to clear a spot of double vision. It's pretty close to full

strength for the Wolves. Huddersfield are missing their

first two choice centres. Cudjoe Huddersfield ended Warrington's

season here in the play-offs last year, but it's a very different

Wolves outbid they face today, with confidence surging after finishing

top of the league leaders latter for the first time in 38 years.

It's quite a night here. It is. We are going to see high-intensity in

these first 15-20 minutes. The Warrington forwards have been

pumping themselves up. They've just spilled over the top. There is

something about play-off rugby league. A tackle from Carvell there.

But there is something about this state of the season. Everybody

lifts a notch or two. The adrenalin Huddersfield into position. It

deflected. It's intercepted and it's a chance for a clearing

reference, Simon Grix. Warrington They are feeling the pressure again

something again. King with a surge. Just enough in defence by Brough to

hold him up in the first instance. Warrington still have the momentum

into gold dust. First try for Warrington. Maybe not the route

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they chose, but effective none the half. This could be a 4020 if it

Warrington, having already established that lead, find

themselves just a couple of minutes later looking... Here is Michael

a score by Grix. -- Hodgson. Warrington already looked to be in

real control here. Outstanding they've practised time and time

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Briers. It's a penalty. Tackle out Bridge again. A sniff of a real

opportunity here for Warrington. Flat ball! Wonderful pass. Monaghan

the sliding in. Even the coach is impressed with that one. But the

referee wants to put this to the video. Was there an Obst auction in

the build-up? -- abstraction. just think that's a poor decision

from the defender. I think this try moment. Lovely pass around the back.

An absolute delight for pass. -- can Huddersfield get themselves

back into this? We know how quickly momentum can turn in Super League,

but the way Warrington are playing it is hard to see a way back for

What about that? Absolute smasher! Back-to- back. Everybody is loving

their snouts. Huddersfield are to find Riley on the edge. Great

difficult to stop from that range. Sit back and relax if you are the

culture of Warrington. -- coach of with recovery by it Scott Grix with

a tackle. Two more tackles to be made otherwise it's a Warrington

try. Here is king - a try number A lovely ball from Monaghan. Great

strength in offload to King. He's like it in the corner. Warrington

are a little bit white-hot at the Raiko to getting a hammering,

people making faces behind your back. They are going adventurous

Cheeky as you like. That is Lee Briers all over. He has just shown

that. Tony Smith barely has anything to say at half-time, I am

sure. His side lead by 25 hype -- squeezed and held on to him, would

not allow him to play. Nothing is Monaghan into the corner. Lovely

play from Monaghan again. I don't know how many times we saw that

this evening, with Briers around the back and a short ball to

Huddersfield being outgunned by the team that finished top of the pile.

Cooper has taken Warrington within 12 metres of the Huddersfield line.

Hodgson against his former side. I am sure it will make it feel extra

sweet. I have lost count of the number of times they have gone down

the right side. It was an arcing run. His cause in the corner again.

Briers, a lovely ball. Gilmour overcome. The video referee is

giving guidance about the ball in the back door, tried to push the

pass. Adkins flicks it. Myler just kicks on. For me this is going to

be a try. I don't think anything could rule this play out. Here

comes confirmation of the 8th try of the night, Myler putting his

name on the scoresheet. He takes the contact, tries to push the pass.

Look at that Kinzett writer been the defensive line and Myler

alongside him as well -- look at Adkins right up on the defensive

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line. We see Malia, he tries to come finish like that who can argue.

Nine tries for Warrington tonight. King and Atkins have shown the

dominance in the centre. Adkins takes a lovely line. He cuts inside

two defenders. A great score under the sticks. The dominance, the

movement of the Warrington players. There are three players in the

frame and Atkins runs a great line as could centres will do. He is too

quick and too strong and scores. Briers safe as you like puts it

will be disappointed with what he has seen, as well Huddersfield

supporters. They have travelled over the Pennines. It has been a

fine performance tonight, a terrific start for them. Old

Trafford is just one game away. They were at their best. They have

played better than that through the year. Some days you have that in

sport, when you won or tat your best. Fortunately it was as tonight,

Huddersfield this time. We know we were a better team than we

performed tonight. We can grow one way or the other, we can put in a

good performance. Sides go both ways over the years. I have been

involved insides that go both ways. There is a lot to play for. We will

knuckle down. We have a nice, strong group of blokes and next

week we can improve. You get to choose Europe next opponents. Is

that the prospect you were looking forward to? No, I am not bothered.

I will play whoever they decide for us to play. It makes no difference.

If you are going to be good enough throughout the finals you have to

play the best. We are happy whichever one. I'm not big on the

whole thing. We have been pretty consistent all year, score plenty

of points but the most pleasing aspect through the year was having

the best defensive record and tonight to keep any team-0 is a

great achievement. We are confident but we know it is an extremely good

-- tough game and a home advantage will be a big bonus. We get to have

a week off. Some of the boys have bumps and bruises. We get a week

off and get ready for a tough game. Warrington looking good, the Wigan

finds behind us making the noise ahead of this game against St

Helens which is taking place in a short while. They will be hoping

their side will be as impressive as Warrington because they looked very

good, Warrington? Everything they did came off. Huddersfield were

shell-shocked. Nathan down had a difficult job. You can't take

anything away from Warrington. They have a lot of points. Is there a

danger of peaking too soon in the players? I don't think so. I think

you're form has to be good. They have great forwards and Monaghan

directing the team around the field. They are fabulous. They will be

careful. They have to know they have a week off and they can't let

their mentality slip. Complacency is the only danger for them.

Huddersfield, next week, how difficult is it the them? They had

as disappointing end to the regular season and a flashing in the play-

offs. This week it is trapdoor football. If they lose they're gone.

There is the element of fear in their performance. That can do

wonders. There will be an ILA front of fear from Nathan Brown but he

can turn it around in one performance. That is Warrington

safely through, then it get next week off. What about the second

game of the weekend? Catalan against Hull Kingston Rovers and

Tanya Arnold has the story of the spot, Hull KR travelled to France

where they have won just a couple of weeks ago. Justin Morgan needed

defeat to bring an end to his six- year spell in charge. But the

Dragons were in no mood to do the visiting coach any favours. With

Hull KR deepened the home side half, men's is intercepted Watts' pass.

He could probably have scored himself but gifted Blanch the first

try of the evening with just two then scored the second soon after,

latching onto a short pass from minutes in an Blanch grabbed his

second after a sweeping move across the Robbins -- the Robins'

defensive line. It was a clinical finish. They sneaked in the corner,

getting the ball down before hitting the corner flag. It was

becoming a bleak night for the visitors, emphasised by the wasting

of what few for chances they had in the first half. The Dragons on the

other hand were in the main clinical. They continued to press

and Menzies continued to show why he had made it into Super League's

immediately after that score, having been taken ill. He was

replaced by Robert Hicks but the Dragons continued their serene

process. A Dureau penalty extending from Morgan was, you can bet it

didn't include allowing the home side yet another try in the first

set. Raguin creating something out of nothing. Millard with a touch

down. More poor defending gifted when they got their first try. It

Soon afterwards Raguin extended the lead further, barging his way

through the defence to join the lay-off, Stacul did well to touch

down in the corner for the 8th try of the evening. By now it was

merely a case of damage limitation to Justin Morgan's men. Even the

luck was with the Dragons. The ricochet off Dobsons summed up

Rovers' night. Greenshields was the beneficiary. The Dragons were

clearly enjoying themselves and throwing the ball around with

abandon. It led to one last try before the final whistle. Blanch

completing his hat-trick on a night when he could have scored five. It

finished 56-six, an emphatic win for Catalan Dragons. A sad way for

Justin Morgan to bow out of Super The stands are slowly filling ahead

of this game. We have our mouth- watering looking ahead to that.

Another very impressive performers in the play-offs. Catalan looked

good against Hull Kingston Rovers. They did, they executed well. It

was hot, humid. And I am sorry for the ravers because it was a bridge

too far in the end. Catalan, you can see them pushing on. Can you

see them doing any real damage from here running? I can, because

they're so Dearing -- they are so dangerous. They have no fear.

They're on the road for the next couple of games -- games. They have

a game that can trouble anybody. The players they have in their team,

and extremely difficult prospect facing the Catalans. An emotional

and for Hull Kingston Rovers. They have players leaving, but in

particular Justin Morgan. He has had a real impression there since

he has taken over. He is starting his career in Toulouse come and

ending up the Catalans yesterday. Justin Morgan had a massive

influence and deserves all the plaudits anyone can give him and

week give him our best. The best to Justin with whatever lies ahead in

his career, whether over here or in Australia. The noise is building.

Wigan against St Helens, always a must win game and boy, are we

The most recent clash between these two was in style. The Warriors have

remained dominant over their fiercest rivals this season,

winning three out of four meetings, including a famous victory in the

Challenge Cup semi-finals. Ryan Noble and Ray French are

been fascinating the crowds since well before the birth of rugby

league itself. Wigan's regular back division has prolific 0.8 scorers

Tomkins and Richards the main dangers. Expect Leuluai to steer

give St Helens a chance from the start. There will be no hot

favourites in this. Local derby at in! Brilliant defence. Had the

skill been better here from Gaskell, they should have gone for the

corner. You can see how much that goal line defence to build -- ment

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back! He can't get over on the last held up by a fantastic Wigan

defence, gets the ball back, scored! Paul Wellens is in.

Tremendous run from the Saints captain. Terrific effort. 198th

this is what they are capable of. Gaskell finds him out the back and

he takes on Paul Deacon and Hansen. How much does it mean to him? What

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a fantastic finish from Paul for Pat Richards and heal normally

come up trumps. -- and he will under the post. Terrific try for

John Lomax. Finished off with the ease, but it started with Roby. A

satisfied Royce Simmons. Roby and land. Lomax on the inside and he

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is in! The referee is looking to relentless. He couldn't get it!

That's a penalty. Wellens holding down. Not much he could do.

still Wigan come at them. Finch is down. A metre from the line.

putting it down. Wellens is screaming for the forward pass. The

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referee says no. It's a try and to get right back in. It's a try

for Finch. Wigan have scored. O'Loughlin clenches his fist. It

all stemmed from that controversial incident at the tackle. Brilliant

play, all on the back of this penalty from Wilkin. From the

subsequent penalty, what do we see? It's about Brett Finch. Deacon

passes the ball early. O'Loughlin on the spot on the inside. The pass

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edged Wigan ever nearer. He does. Lomax again. St Helens have hit

back immediately. No hesitation from the referee. Saints and

another four points and Wigan's don't try and pass to anybody

that's not there. Lomax got it. Paul Wellens on the inside. What a

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Still Wigan press and look two points, Brian? This is a big

tackle, tremendous effort. Hansen there, still St Helens pressing.

Roby has to go himself. Delayed too long. Three tackles remaining, five

metres from the line. Here's a chance. McCarthy-Scarsbrook! The

fans go Wild behind the posts! The dry has been given, no referral to

the video referee. St Helens took the right decision. Just look at

Here we go. There is the penalty on the Bakiyev Moore. McCarthy scars

but, nobody is going to stop the the St Helens fans. 26-12 to St

Another try for Wigan! Saints upset by Soliola's movement from the

pitch in coming back but Wigan taking advantage and Tomkins has

scored, begin have to stretch over and grabbed the four.. There you go,

Soliola is back on the field, Leuluai were is the architect. Liz

Moyer finds aback play, Tomkins' long arms stretches it down over

the line. Here we see Wellens gets forced -- for Wigan. They will not

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Forward. They are hanging on here, St. They are looking tired. They

away. Ten-minute dash ten metres from the line. St Helens clinging

to the game here. Wigan frantically Tomkins interfering. What a game!

Charnley can't come up with it. Gaskell does. He is it's -- he has

stolen it when he has tackled. You that surely is a win for St Helens.

on the whistle. The Saints fans roaring their side on. They know it

is all over now. A magnificent win for the Saints. The first this

season and one which gives them a Well, who would have thought that?

This man would, he predicted it. St Helens would have a big play it --

say the players. What a brilliant game, what a great advert for our

game in particular. Both sets of players were fantastic. Was

expecting it? Probably sneakily. This showed the form book out,

through the betting slips away. Both teams deserve credit. Wigan

have lost against St Helens today. They lost against Warrington at the

beckoned of the regular season. How damaging is that psychologically?

It will have a part to play. They will have to work on it. Physically

they are good. Champion teams don't like getting beaten like that,

certainly at home in a play-off game they are expected to win. They

will be smarting. They have to play next week, having done all the way

the Challenge Cup. It is draining. It is about managing that. They

know how to play together now. It is about getting them emotionally

right after today and last week against Warrington and getting them

ready for a huge task next week. Helens will be at home in two weeks

and they are looking good for a Grand Final place. They needed that

win. When it was seven minutes to go I was thinking they needed next

week off because they have invested everything today. They will get the

few players back as well. The two weeks is a fabulous time for Saints.

It has been a memorable week so far. We have seen three fantastic games,

victories for Warrington, Catalan and St Helens and there is one game

to go. You can keep in touch with the